Battered UAlbany looks for rebound

Aronhalt and Devlin are likely to miss game against Maine

Published 12:10 am, Saturday, February 11, 2012

UAlbany's Luke Devlin drives to the basket against UMBC's Jarrel Lane during a basketball game at the SEFCU Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

UAlbany's Luke Devlin drives to the basket against UMBC's Jarrel Lane during a basketball game at the SEFCU Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Battered UAlbany looks for rebound

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The University at Albany men's basketball team is a mess right now.

It's bad enough for coach Will Brown and company that the Danes have lost their past three games and have fallen out of touch with the top three teams in the America East.

Just when things couldn't get any worse, they did.

When UAlbany plays at Maine on Saturday afternoon, it will be without starting guard Logan Aronhalt and, most likely, starting forward Luke Devlin.

"Yeah, we are banged up pretty good," Brown said by cellphone Friday afternoon while the Danes bussed to Orono. "And it's not going to change."

Devlin sat out the second half of UAlbany's 69-64 loss at New Hampshire on Thursday night after his back went out at halftime. Aronhalt, who has battled a chronic condition in his right knee virtually all season, didn't play the final 14 minutes at UNH after the pain got to be too much.

Brown said the two have been getting constant treatment since Thursday, but he has major doubts about their availability for Saturday's game.

"Logan is out for (Saturday)," Brown said. "We will label him day to day."

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At a glance

UAlbany (7-6, 15-12) vs. Maine (5-7, 11-12)

When: Saturday, 2 p.m.

Where: Harold Alfond Sports Arena, Orono, Maine

Radio: WOFX (980 AM)

Aronhalt has started all 27 games for the Danes, who have dipped to 7-6 in the league (still in fourth place) and 15-12 overall. He is the second-leading scorer at 15.2 points per game and gets 4.7 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-4 junior has played with the nagging knee injury, knowing that he is facing surgery at the end of the season. Brown said Aronhalt's season could be over a lot sooner than either would hope.

"We have to decide whether to shut him down until the conference tournament or shut him down for good," Brown said. "He is in a lot of pain and we have to figure out if shutting him down completely is the answer. Up to this point, we have left it up to him for his tolerance of pain. (Thursday) it got to be where it was unbearable. He realized he was not being effective at either end of the floor."

Aronhalt was held to four points on 2-for-6 shooting while playing 25 minutes against New Hampshire.

Devlin, a 6-8 sophomore forward, was a member of the America East All-Rookie team last season. He underwent back surgery over the summer, but has not been the same player he was a year ago, averaging 5.9 points and 4.6 rebounds (he averaged 7.4 points and 6.9 rebounds as a freshman). He has also started every game this season.

Brown said the back injury was in a different area than the surgery, making this situation even more puzzling.

"I would expect he will not play (Saturday)," Brown said. "We'll see how he feels (Saturday), but if I were a guessing man, I would say no."

If those players cannot go, Brown will have to figure out who to start with Blake Metcalf, Mike Black and Gerardo Suero. He said he might put 6-foot-10 sophomore John Puk up front with Metcalf.

Or he could go smaller, inserting 6-4 junior Jayson Guerrier and 5-10 Jacob Iati in the starting lineup. Either way, the Danes are looking at a short bench against Maine, a team they beat 76-75 in Albany on Jan. 14.

"We are a very tired team right now," said Brown, who added the Danes did not practice on Friday. "We are not going to use that as an excuse and no one is going to feel sorry for us. We just have to find a way to get back on track."